PublicStuff
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Government technology |
| Founded | 2009 |
| Founder | Lily Liu, Vincent Polidoro |
| Fate | Acquired by Accela in 2015 |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | Approximately 250 cities in the United States |
| Products | Digital platform for neighborhood service requests and communication between residents and local governments |
| Parent | Accela |
| Website | publicstuff |
PublicStuff is a digital platform designed to facilitate communication between residents and local governments, allowing users to submit neighborhood service requests instantly through web browsers, mobile applications, phone calls, or SMS. Citizens can report concerns such as street repairs or garbage collection by generating issue tracking tickets.
Founded in 2009 by Lily Liu and Vincent Polidoro and officially launched in 2010, PublicStuff currently operates in approximately 250 cities across the United States. The company's core business strategy revolves around linking community members with municipal services via its digital communication infrastructure.
In 2015, Accela, a government technology company headquartered in San Ramon, California, acquired PublicStuff. This acquisition enhanced Accela’s portfolio of civic engagement tools and broadened its presence within the government technology market.
Background
After spending ten years in urban administration roles spanning California, Washington D.C., and New York City, Liu established PublicStuff. In a 2013 Forbes interview, he emphasized the difficulties municipalities encounter in providing effective customer service due to the absence of ready-made platforms for resident interaction.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Plano, Texas were among the initial cities to adopt PublicStuff. Subsequently, the company expanded its reach to include municipalities such as Tallahassee, Florida; North Miami Beach, Florida; Asheville, North Carolina; Newport Beach, California; Aurora, Colorado; Palo Alto, California; and Daly City, California.
Use
PublicStuff primarily partners with local governments by supplying a CRM system that supports workflow management and facilitates internal communication as well as interaction with residents. Municipal clients have the option to personalize the mobile application's interface and incorporate widgets to enhance the user experience for their constituents.
Officials can utilize push notifications to broadcast alerts regarding events, emergencies, or important updates. Additionally, PublicStuff handles "orphan requests"—submissions from areas not subscribed to the service—by manually directing these reports to the correct municipal departments.
Submitting a request
When users submit location-tagged images, detailed descriptions, or phone-reported issues through PublicStuff, these are forwarded to the appropriate government divisions. Users receive updates on the progress and resolution of their submissions and can add comments to provide additional information if necessary.
One Voice
PublicStuff’s One Voice feature offers translation support for sixteen languages, simplifying the process for non-English-speaking residents to file service requests.
Funding
Prior to its acquisition, PublicStuff raised $6.55 million from investors including FirstMark Capital, Knight Foundation, Lerer Ventures, First Round Capital, and High Peaks Venture Partners.
Achievements
In 2014, Forbes placed PublicStuff at number 85 on its list of America's Most Promising Companies.